Regional languages face uphill battle for relevance despite 'classical' tag

Linguists raise questions around selection criteria, emphasise need to link language with employability

Earlier this month, the Union Cabinet granted classical language status to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali. With Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Telugu (2008), Kannada (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014) already designated as classical languages, this brings the total to 11. 

Initiated by the Ministry of Culture in 2004, the classical status offers benefits such as establishing Centres of Excellence for advanced research, creating professional chairs in central universities, special awards, and dedicated government funding. “Beyond fostering academic and research opportunities, this status drives initiatives to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of these languages,” says KS